The emergency scene is challenging and dangerous; firefighters must be ready to perform safely and effectively when needed. To do that, fire companies must conduct current and realistic training throughout the year. The emergency scene is not the place to learn or practice a skill, as inadequately trained personnel can compromise the safety and efficiency of operations.

Company officers should evaluate their firefighters’ ability to meet the requirements of their positions. They should focus on the basic skills to increase effectiveness and those “high-risk, low-frequency” events that may cause injury or death.

To help plan, present and monitor the basic job performance of their firefighters, company officers should develop and implement an annual training calendar. Utilizing a simple four-step process will help the officer deliver a high-quality program that ensures their firefighters are safely delivering good service to the community.

Following are four key elements of developing an annual company training calendar.

1. Determine Your Company’s Training Needs

Ask yourself: Who needs to train and on what? The personnel composition of every fire station is different and may include rescue (ambulance), special operations, engine and/or truck companies. Some fire departments operate with specific seat assignments for each firefighter, while others require firefighters to be cross-trained and able to perform many various tasks, depending on the emergency and the resources available. All firefighters must be comfortable with the equipment, tools and procedures they may be required to use.

In addition, consider the different types of responses you’ll face. Some crews are responsible for specific operations for the department, such as hazardous material mitigation or technical rescue. Other companies may respond to specific types of occupancies in their area, including nursing homes, high-rises, manufacturing plants or marinas.

2. Prioritize Your Company’s Training Needs, Focusing On Safety First

A simple way to prioritize your training needs is to ask the following questions:

What training is essential to ensure your firefighters’ safety? It’s imperative that firefighter safety and survival techniques are practiced continuously throughout the year. This includes donning personal protective equipment (PPE), operating and maintaining SCBA and PASS alarm devices and reviewing and practicing emergency situations and equipment malfunctions, such as escaping from entanglements and rescuing injured firefighters. Driving and operating apparatus, recognizing potential flashovers, and understanding fire behavior and building construction are other areas that require a high level of proficiency and ability. The company officer must ensure all crewmembers have mastered basic firefighter safety and survival techniques.
What training will enhance the company’s effectiveness at the emergency scene? Basic fireground skills, including the placement of ladders, deployment and advancement of hoselines, forcible entry, ventilation and extrication will affect the outcome of operations on the emergency scene. Knowledge in equipment troubleshooting, hydraulic calculations, apparatus placement, strategy and tactics and the Incident Management System will further improve emergency operations.
What training is mandated by law or by the department? If your department has a training division, it will probably administer and monitor any government- or department-mandated training. If not, the company officer may have to ensure compliance and completion of this training, which may include driver training, bloodborne pathogens awareness, medical continuing education units (CEUs) and special hazards training. For example, Florida requires EMTs and paramedics to complete 30 hours of CEUs plus 2 hours of HIV/AIDS and CPR training to renew their license. They can fulfill their CEU requirements by successfully completing training through their own department or through a recognized Florida Training Center.
What other areas of training do your firefighters desire or need? This can be determined by the company officer through personal observation, incident critiques, injury and accident reports and general discussion with personnel. Individuals in each company will have different desires and needs. Some may want to become a driver/operator or a paramedic, while others may be preparing for a company officer promotional exam.
Asking these questions will produce a list of training topics addressing the service areas provided by your department and the safety of your crewmembers. It will enhance operational effectiveness, ensure compliance with mandated training and allow for input from your crewmembers. It’s important that the company officer understand the training needs of the company and work to maintain and improve the proficiency of the crew.

3. Produce a Training Schedule That’s Believable, Achievable & Flexible

A successful training program must have “buy-in” from your company. The program must be believable; in other words, your firefighters must believe in the effectiveness and the necessity of the training program. Emphasize the importance of firefighter safety and its effects on the entire company.

Your training schedule must also be achievable. It must be based on realistic expectations of what can be accomplished with your resources and the time available.

Finally, the schedule must be flexible to allow for unforeseen events, such as weather, emergency calls or other department-required events. Company officers can consider scheduling indoor training, such as classroom lectures, during hot summer or cold winter months. Crewmember fatigue and readiness levels should also be considered when scheduling the time and length of training.

Create your training schedule using a table format, either on paper or on a word-processing software program. In the left column, list the training areas you have identified: Essential to firefighter safety, Enhances company effectiveness, Mandated by law or department and Other areas firefighters desire or need. Across the table, make columns for each month of the year. You can now use this table to distribute training throughout the year. For a sample table.

Based on your individual company’s abilities and needs, you can determine how frequently and what kind of training should be scheduled in each area for each month. Consider weather, local events and population trends (call volume) when determining the days and months for each topic, which can be inserted or deleted as needed.

4. Review & Monitor Your Company’s Training Performance to Enhance Safety & Identify Future Needs

A training calendar will help company officers monitor and evaluate their firefighters’ job performance requirements. It will ensure the company practices the job basics, particularly firefighter survival, while providing them with an opportunity to learn new skills and improve their knowledge.
NFPA 1500: Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program states: “The fire department shall provide an annual skills check to verify minimum professional qualifications of its members.” Follow your department’s job performance requirements to ensure firefighters receive training commensurate with their duties and functions.

Measure results by reviewing each training topic’s objectives and whether the desired outcomes were met. Compile the data to identify opportunities to improve firefighters’ knowledge, skills and abilities for the next training calendar.

Finally, don’t forget to ground training in real life. The fire service continues to provide us with an endless stream of actual events and case studies that can enhance our learning process. Reviewing these events enables the company officer to challenge firefighters to apply the material learned to their own real-world situations. Two valuable sources for case study reviews are the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (www.cdc.gov/niosh) and the National Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting System (www.firefighternearmiss.com).

It’s About the Basics

Fire department training requirements have increased. No longer confined to just fighting fires, fire departments are now responding to special operations events (hazardous materials, high-angle rescue, confined-space rescue) and medical emergencies. They are more involved in fire inspections and community education. These demands, and more, require large amounts of time that may take away from training, particularly firefighter survival and practicing the basics. Developing and implementing an annual training calendar will assist the company officer in planning, presenting and monitoring the basic job performance requirements of their firefighters.

Meet the Standard

NFPA standards should be a central part of your training program

Standards published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) are a valuable source to assist company officers with the delivery of company training that’s in line with national standards. Many of the standards are related to training issues, including professional qualifications, evaluating training procedures, documenting training for effectiveness and ensuring the safety and health of the firefighters. Some specific NFPA Standards you should reference include:
NFPA 1000 series: Fire Service Professional Qualifications

NFPA 1401: Recommended Practice for Fire Service Training Reports and Records (2006)
NFPA 1403: Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions (2007)
NFPA 1404: Standard for Fire Service Respiratory Protection Training (2006)
NFPA 1405: Guide for Land-Based Firefighters Who Respond to Marine Vessel Fires (2006)
NFPA 1410: Standard on Training for Initial Emergency Scene Operations (2005)
NFPA 1451: Standard for a Fire Service Vehicle Operations Training Program (2007)
NFPA 1452: Guide for Training Fire Service Personnel to Conduct Dwelling Fire Safety Surveys (2005)
NFPA 1500: Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program (2007)

Improve Your Classification

Training focused on ISO considerations can enhance crew effectiveness

The Insurance Service Organization^? (ISO), an independent organization that measures and evaluates the effectiveness of fire-mitigation services throughout the country by assigning them a Public Protection Classification (1 to 10), identifies training requirements and procedures that will help a fire department get a better classification. Company officers can use these requirements to design training drills and programs.

Here’s a summary of items the ISO considers when reviewing a fire department’s training:

Company drills, including single, multiple and night drills;
Company training at fire stations: 20 hours per member per month;
Driver and operating training: four half-day sessions per year;
Hazardous materials training: one half-day session per member, per year; and
Pre-fire planning inspections: twice per year for each identified structure.

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